Saturday, March 31, 2012

PCJ Radio announced the winners of the 83rd Anniversary contest for Happy Station Show


Grand Prize - One week trip to Taipei, Taiwan goes to Charlie Duffield from Johannesburg, South Africa and Ronald McGovern from Chesterfield, United Kingdom.

Second Prize - A new Sangean ATS909X goes to Partha Sarathi Goswami in India.

Third Prize - A new TECSUN S2000 goes to Louis Garcia La Rosa from Trujillo, Venezula.
 
New Contest coming in May
 
(Source : PCJ Media)

British Sports Stars Line Up For CBBC’s Ultimate Sports Day

As President of the IOC Jacques Rogge praises London 2012 for its 'legacy blueprint', elite sports stars including Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton and Perri Shakes-Drayton have pledged their support for CBBC’s sports series Ultimate Sports Day for its efforts in encouraging young people to participate in sport. 

This weekend the series climaxes as the top four youngsters form the Ultimate Sports Day All Stars to face off against an Olympic Dream Team in grand finale on Saturday 31st March. They test their mettle against Amy Williams, Kelly Sotherton, Phillips Idowu and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey. 

Leading the sports stars offering their support is Olympic Hephathlete Jessica Ennis who says: “I was involved in the original pitch for Ultimate Sports Day and it’s great to see that the programme has been so inspirational to so many young people. It is more important now than ever to have an inspirational sports show for children on TV to build on the enthusiasm that the Olympic Games generates!”

Team GB cycling star Victoria Pendleton adds: “The Olympics is a great opportunity to encourage kids to participate in sport but this needs to be maintained after the Games finish. Ultimate Sports Day is the perfect show to encourage kids sporting participation; exciting games, covering all sports skill sets and the chance to learn from some sporting heroes, why was this not around when I was younger?!” 400m Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu concurs: “I wish there was a programme like this when I was a child.”


(Source : BBC Media Centre)

BBC Radio 5 live’s biggest ever outside broadcast at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium

Colin Murray will host BBC Radio 5 live’s biggest ever outside broadcast at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium. The iconic sports panel show Fighting Talk will take place in front of an audience of 6,000 on May 26.

Alongside Colin’s show, Stoke City fan Nick Hancock will host a special local celebrity edition of the show which will be broadcast on BBC Radio Stoke.

Colin Murray says: “Fighting Talk is a family. The contestants, the staff and most importantly our listeners. And this is the ultimate family get together. We will try to make this our best programme ever. Don’t be late!”

Radio 5 live Controller Adrian Van Klaveren says: “We’re working really hard to take 5 live around the country, getting as close as we can to our listeners. We’re thrilled to be coming to Stoke-on-Trent which will be a great place for our biggest audience event yet.” 

Music will be provided music by The Enemy who will perform live.

And entertainment will come from self styled German Comedy Ambassador, Henning Wehn.
Details of how to obtain tickets for the event will be on bbc.co.uk/5live from Friday 30 March. Tickets cost £10 each plus booking fee.

(Source : BBC Media Centre)

Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for BBC Radio 4

Chris Watson will be given the radio broadcaster of the year award at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards later for his BBC Radio 4 programme, The Wire.

Archive on 4, meanwhile, is honoured as Radio Programme of the Year.

The awards – now in their 38th year – cover both TV and radio and winners are chosen by journalists who write about the media. They are being presented at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane today.

Watson beat other nominees Sir David Attenborough and Jane Garvey to the award for The Wire, in which he talks to those who’ve recorded the sounds of wind blowing through miles of wire in the Australian outback.

Attenborough was shortlisted for Radio 4 20-part series Life Stories, while Garvey was nominated for her work on Woman’s Hour.

Archive on 4 was up against other Radio 4 programmes Clare in the Community and The Write Stuff.

(Source : Radio Today, UK)

Sindh Govt grant to Radio Pakistan for Khairpur Transmitter

The Sindh Government has provided 80.7 million rupees to Radio Pakistan for the replacement of medium wave transmitter in Khairpur with a 100 kilowatt modern digital transmitter 

The project is expected to be completed in two years.

The new transmitter will have a range of 200 kilometers in day time and 600 kilometers at night.

The project‚ on completion‚ will help promote local culture and language of the area besides providing employment opportunities to the local talent.

It is worth-mentioning that the old medium wave transmitter of Khairpur had outlived its life and become obsolete and the transmitter had to be shut down in November 2010. A 5 KW FM Transmitter was installed at the Broadcasting House Khairpur as a stop-gap arrangement. 

The Sindh Chief Minister‚ Syed Qaim Ali Shah in November 2010 offered that the provincial government will bear the cost of replacement of the old medium wave transmitter with modern digital transmitter. 

Director-General Radio Pakistan Murtaza Solangi has thanked the Sindh Government and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah for taking interest in the project and fulfilling the commitment made by him for provision of necessary funds.

He said the upgraded transmitter would help Radio Pakistan disseminate its programmes to a wider audience and also promote local art and culture.

(Source : Radio Pakistan website)

VOA Websites Get New Design

Voice of America is giving its websites a new look and additional features, and saving some money in the process.

The new layout makes navigation easier for the user, moves more content to the top of the page, provides bigger images, and more multimedia functionality.  The design also allows online commenting on audio and video for the first time.

VOA, which broadcasts news and information around the world in 43 languages, began the transition to the new content management system (CMS) this week with its Indonesian, Spanish and Creole websites. Eventually more than 50 VOA websites will make the switch.

“Our audience should love it,” says Iscar Blanco, Managing Editor of the VOA Spanish site. “It gives us more exposure with social media, and it allows us to be more creative in the way we lay out the page every day.  If we have great pictures of a developing story and some interesting audience contributions, we can highlight that, clump them together, and move the entire cluster to the center of the page.  I love it,” Blanco says.

Martha Townes, the Internet Managing Editor for VOA’s East Asia and Pacific Division, says, “The new system makes more sense.  It allows editors to move things around and organize graphics and stories in a more intuitive and dynamic way.”

The content management system, called Pangea, will also save money by migrating VOA and other U.S. international broadcasters to the same platform and reducing duplicate systems.  Pangea was created by Internet technology developers at VOA’s sister station, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, a U.S. government-funded international broadcaster, which has shared the program with VOA and will also store content on its servers.

For more information about this release contact Kyle B. King at the VOA Public Relations office in Washington at kking@voanews.com.  For more information about any of our programs, visit our main English language website at www.voanews.com.

(Source : Broadcasting Board of Governors Press Release)

Friday, March 30, 2012

The 2012 Masters Golf Tournament on the BBC

The BBC will bring all the action from the 2012 Masters Golf Tournament, with comprehensive coverage on TV, radio and online. 

There will be live coverage on the Saturday and Sunday on BBC Two and the BBC HD Channel and extended coverage on the BBC Red Button, as well as highlights from Thursday and Friday’s play (see full TV schedule below). Plus action from all four days will be live on Radio 5 live.

TV coverage will be presented by Hazel Irvine with commentary from Peter Alliss, Ken Brown, Andrew Cotter and Wayne Grady. Michael Vaughan will be reporting.

The week begins with a review show presented by Hazel Irvine on Wednesday 4 April BBC Two 11.20pm–12.20pm, looking back at last year’s memorable tournament and to the competition ahead.

Live TV coverage will also be streamed online on the BBC Sport website (UK users only), along with the popular live text commentary service. The site will also feature reports, reaction, photos, blogs and tweets from the team in Augusta.

Radio 5 live will have commentary on all four days of competition. BBC Radio 2 and The One Show presenter Chris Evans will host the coverage again alongside the award winning 5 Live golf team lead by correspondent Iain Carter, with John Murray and Alistair Bruce-Ball and analysis from 5 live’s regular US expert Jay Townsend and PGA Tour winner and seven times Masters player Andrew Magee.

5 live will have all the news from the course each day of Masters week before play gets underway. The Masters preview show will be on Tuesday 3 April at 9.00pm until 10.00pm with live commentary getting underway at 9.00pm on Thursday 5 April.


(Source : BBC Press Release)

EBU in European media rights deal with FIFA for 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups™

The European Broadcasting Union has secured all exclusive media rights for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia and 2022 FIFA World Cup™ in Qatar. 

This new FIFA/EBU deal covers the rights for 37 countries* in Europe and represents a significant extension of the current FIFA-EBU contractual set-up for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ media rights.

Consequently, nearly 40 EBU Members will provide substantial free-to-air coverage of most matches in the next three FIFA World Cups™, including the already agreed 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil.

EBU President Jean-Paul Philippot said: "We are honoured and proud that FIFA has placed its complete trust in the EBU and its participating Members for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups™ broadcast coverage. This contract is a humbling compliment, and testament to the EBU's reputation as an ideal partner in the sports media rights industry."

*Albania; Armenia; Austria;, Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia-Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Estonia; Georgia; Hungary; Iceland; Israel; Kazakhstan; Kosovo; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxemburg; Macedonia; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Republic of Ireland; Romania; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine

(Source : European Broadcasting Union)

Myanmar to Host AIBD GC in 2013

Myanmar is to host the 39th annual gathering and 12th AIBD General Conference & Associated Meetings in July 2013.

In an official letter to AIBD Director Yang Binyuan, Mr Thein Aung, Director-General of Myanma Radio and Television (MRTV), Ministry of Information, Myanmar said “we really appreciate AIBD for offering us a good opportunity to be the host country of important conference in Myanmar. We’d like to grab such a kind offer and show our abilities there by hosting it. “

AIBD Secretariat has been discussing the preparations of the GC 2013 with Mr U Win Maw, Executive Director, Forever Group Co. Ltd and Chairman of MRTV4, who will coordinate and organize the GC together with AIBD.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development)

Launch of new digital radio stations in Berlin

MEDIA BROADCAST is expanding local programming in the greater Berlin area and continues on for the 1 April, the digital radio station Bayern plus SWRinfo, B2 Radio, Radio Paradiso and Radio Paloma on. The distribution of radio programs is the new DAB + standard across the channel from the transmitter 7B Alexanderplatz with a capacity of seven KW. Listeners receive the stations in the region after a short tuning on their DAB + receiver. With other radio stations MEDIA BROADCAST is involved in negotiations. The launching is scheduled for the coming weeks.


(Source : DiGITAL RADIO, BAYERN via WorldDMB via Google Translator)

Interested in operating a Digital Radio service in London, Birmingham, or Manchester?

CE Digital, UK is inviting expressions of interest from prospective operators of Digital Sound Programme Services and/or Digital Additional Services on its DAB multiplexes in London, Birmingham and Manchester. New contracts will run from 31 May 2012 for a period of up to 12 years.

Interested parties should download and return an Expression of Interest Form (PDF Version).

Closing Date : 5 April.

(Existing service providers do not need to complete a form)

(Source : CE Digital, UK)

Sony nominations 2012 announced

This year’s Sony Radio Academy Award nominations have been announced in a special lunchtime webcast presented by Capital FM’s Dave Berry and Lisa Snowdon.

The BBC leads the field – but only just – with 53% of the nominations, signalling a decent representation from commercial radio.

Of the 165 nominations, 88 are for the BBC, 69 for commercial radio, 3 for Prison Radio (community/satellite), 1 is for BFBS and 4 are for other organisations (The Guardian twice, British Comedy Guide and Mind who are all nominated in the Best Internet Programme category).

The station with the most nominations is BBC Radio 4, which together with sister station 4 Extra has been shortlisted 24 times. Radio 2 and 6 Music together have 19 nominations, while 5 live has 11. BBC’s Nations and Regions stations are shortlisted 11 times and together Radio 1 and 1Xtra have 10 nominations.

In the commercial sector, the biggest two groups Global and Bauer have 13 nominations each in the main awards (Bauer has a 14th, however, in the Rising Star Award nomination). Absolute are next with 10 shortlisted entries, then UTV and GMG with 9 each. There are also 3 nominations each for UKRD and Oxis Media (Jack FM & Glide FM in Oxfordshire), while Orion Media have 2 nominations. Prison Radio Association also has three shortlisted entries, and there are single award nominations for Jack FM Hertfordshire, BFBS, Garrison FM, Jazz FM, French Radio London and Fun Kids.


(Source : Radio Today, UK)

Kosovo seeks full EBU membership and Song Contest slot

Kosovo has urged the EBU to admit Radio Television Kosovo (RTK) as an Active Member, thereby enabling Europe's newest nation to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest.

"The EBU is quintessentially important for us," deputy Kosovo Foreign Minister Petrit Selimi told EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre  at a meeting in Geneva. "And nothing is more important than the Song Contest in nation-building."

The EBU played a major role in establishing RTK in 1999, after the Kosovo War, and RTK enjoys a wide-ranging services agreement with the Union. However, active membership of the Union is currently open only to broadcasters in countries belonging to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). And while 89 countries have recognized the Republic of Kosovo since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008, Kosovo has not yet been admitted to the ITU.

Mr Selimi is engaged on a series of meetings with international organizations, including the ITU and the Council of Europe, to press for further recognition of Kosovo. He said that RTK's young population suffered from isolation. "People need to be part of something bigger," he said. "RTK is still an island and it needs to become part of an archipelago."

Ms Deltenre wished him luck in his mission, but said that the EBU's current statutes and regulations made it impossible for RTK to become an Active Member of the Union or to take part in the Song Contest.

(Source : European Broadcasting Union)

DRM General Assembly in Winnersh, UK – new Steering Board elected

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium has elected its new governing bodies and set its strategy for the next two years at the General Assembly held in Winnersh, United Kingdom which concluded yesterday. 

The Consortium has inducted two new members to its Steering Board, both receiver chip-set manufacturers – Frontier Silicon and NXP Semiconductors. 

The annual meeting of DRM members also re-elected Ruxandra Obreja (BBC) as the Chair of the DRM Consortium along with Jochen Huber (Transradio) as Vice Chair, Ludo Maes (TDP) as Vice Chair and Commercial Committee Chair, Lindsay Cornell (BBC) as Technical Committee Chair and Alexander Zink (Fraunhofer) as Treasurer.

The meeting was hosted by DRM member Harris at its headquarters in the UK. During the two days, the members saw and discussed presentations and updates from around the world and set the strategy and budget for the next year. 

Two new members have joined the DRM Consortium this year – Parrot SA and Keystone Technologies. 

The General Assembly is the largest decision-making body of the DRM Consortium which elects its governing bodies and representatives every two years. They guide the Consortium's activities in promoting the use and take-up of DRM digital radio technology.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)

Turkmenistan to Join ABU

A delegation from the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography recently visited the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to apply for membership to the union for its state broadcaster. The visit was facilitated by BBC Media Action, the activist arm of the BBC. BBC Media Action has been funded by the European Union to help media development in Turkmenistan.

The two-day visit of the three-member delegation allowed the Turkmenistan broadcaster to discuss the range of services and benefits ABU membership offers.

Deputy Chairman of the State Committee Rasul Charyyev, head of the delegation, noted that the Turkmenistan state broadcaster is eager to join the ABU in order to develop links with other broadcasting organizations in the Asia-Pacific region and to have an international platform for promoting programs in the country.

The Turkmenistan state broadcaster is also interested in acquiring, through the ABU, broadcast rights for sports events and to receive training for its technical staff. In October 2011 the broadcaster moved to a new state-of-art television center and in January launched a 24-hour sports channel. 

(Source : Radio World)

Radio project to tune in on Africa's slums

Radio Slum Project to help share experiences of millions of Africans living in impoverished areas.

According to rights groups, more than half of the population of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, live in slums.
A new radio project in the city hopes to change perceptions of the millions of people in sub-Saharan African cities who live in slums.

The Radio Slum Project seeks to help residents of these impoverished areas share their experiences on radio stations around Africa.

Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri reports from Nairobi.



(Source : Al Jazeera)

EBU to apply for Top Level Domain names .radio and .eurovision

Geneva, 29 March, 2012 – The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) today revealed plans to submit a robust application to acquire the .radio Top Level Domain name (TLD) for the global broadcast radio community.

This application, which has the full backing of the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU) and other relevant bodies, will stress that the .radio TLD would allow the EBU to create an internet-based platform where the world's radio broadcasters could assemble. Closer networking 'under one roof' would also bolster their position as an indispensible media sector, whose development would be accelerated by new radio services.

Currently there are 21 TLDs, including .com, .org and .net, as well as national TLDs, such as .ch, .fr and .de. But the world authority that maintains and regulates web addresses, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN), has invited applications for new, more creative TLDs to be submitted by April 12, 2012.

The EBU Executive Board met in London yesterday, where a decision was taken to apply for the .radio TLD, as well as .eurovision.

Following the meeting, President Jean-Paul Philippot said the EBU's application for .radio was in the best interests of the radio community and the medium itself.

He said: "The EBU's acquisition of this TLD will serve a greater good, bringing tangible benefits to radio broadcasters and listeners everywhere. Our application includes the firm, written support of the EBU's seven sister unions*, representing the interests of around 50,000 radio stations with a potential reach of some 5.5 billion listeners."

EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre said the EBU's aspirations for the .radio TLD would bring a one-time opportunity to "communitize" the world's oldest broadcasting medium as never before.

She added: "The EBU wants  to ensure that the world's radio community has fair, reasonable access to a domain name that could bring unique impetus to the entire sector. The EBU would administer the .radio TLD in a neutral, reliable and not-for-profit way; it would be regrettable if it fell into hands that do not represent the entire radio community."

* The EBU's sister broadcasting unions, which together with the EBU make up the World Broadcasting Unions, are: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU); Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU); African Union of Broadcasting (AUB); Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU); International Association of Broadcasting (IAB); North American Broadcasters Association (NABA); Organizacion de Telecomunicaciones Iberoamericanas (OTI)

(Source : European Broadcasting Union)

New York-Based Chinese Radio USA Partners with AudioNow to Reach Chinese Americans

New York City-based Chinese Radio USA, broadcasting to Chinese Americans across the United States, has joined forces with AudioNow® to provide mobile streaming for their station’s programming in the United States and Canada. This service is available by calling 832.999.1823 from any mobile phone.

"Listening to Chinese radio should be as easy as pressing a speed dial key on any mobile device which listeners can now do. Simplicity for broadcasters and listeners is the key to AudioNow's technology platform.” says Jennifer Friesen, the Director of Public Affairs for AudioNow. “Our platform is perfect for Chinese programming because Chinese American listeners want news, current events and music in their language on-the-go.”

“With very limited resources in running a minority radio station in US, adding an affordable and convenient platform for Chinese Americans to listen to our programs is a gigantic step to expand our audience,” said the station’s general manager Jack Tam. “Chinese Radio is one of the few Chinese Language Radio stations with programming that targets Chinese Americans who live in different cities and towns. By partnering with AudioNow, our listeners will never miss our best quality programs wherever they want to go, even when they are driving. It’s a big bonus to our listeners!”

Chinese Radio USA provides entertainment and the latest news to Chinese community of North America from their website. The website features their 24/7 radio programming, as well as news and information on public affairs and daily life.

AudioNow is the leading provider of mobile phone broadcast radio distribution in the country. It uses proprietary, “HD” voice design and patent-pending technology that allows any fixed or mobile phone to access live audio programming without any downloads across all mobile platforms. Visit www.audionow.com to learn more and register.

Contact Information:

At AudioNow:
Jennifer Friesen
Director of Public Affairs
Jennifer.Friesen@AudioNow.com

Chinese Radio USA
Jack Tam
General Manager
Chineseradiousa@gmail.com

(Source : AudioNow.com)

South African Radio Veritas to broadcast on Medium Wave at Easter

The year 2012 will undoubtedly be the most exciting in the 12 year history of Radio Veritas! Late last year the Board of ICASA- Independent Communications Authority of South Africa which is the regulator for the South African communications, broadcasting and postal services sector.-. granted Radio Veritas a licence to broadcast on the Medium Wave 576 Khz wavelength. A new transmitter will be arriving from the United States in February 2012. After installation and testing at the transmission site in Meyerton Radio Veritas will start 24 hour per day broadcasting on 8th April 2012. The wavelength granted to Radio Veritas was previously used by Radio Metro and had a substantial broadcast range – at night Radio Metro could even be received as far afield as the Northern Cape, southern Zimbabwe. It will continue to broadcast on the DSTV Audio Bouquet Channel 170 as well as streaming on the Internet at www.radioveritas.co.za. These combined media will enable us to reach a substantial percentage of the Catholic population of South Africa and to become a significant medium for communication within our great country. The management and Technical staff of Radio Veritas are working at full stretch to develop exciting programmes whose content will challenge, inform and inspire all age groups.

(Source : Vatican Radio)

Thursday, March 29, 2012

BBC News on mobile: site refresh

I’m Kate Milner, mobile product manager for BBC News. I’m pleased to tell you that today we relaunched the BBC News mobile website for audiences in the UK and around the world.

The new-look site is designed to work on a range of mobile devices and screen sizes, whether your phone is a touchscreen one or whether you use a keypad or trackball. Now when you browse the mobile site, what you see will be tailored to the device you have in your hand, for example the way you move around the news sections and the number of images you see.

You can visit the new site on your mobile at m.bbc.co.uk/news.

I’ve been working with a talented team of developers and designers to deliver this new product and today is just the start of a number of improvements we plan to offer to make it easier for you to access BBC News on a range of mobile devices.

We’ve made it easier for you to skim through the news headlines and view the Most Read articles. Features and Analysis stories are also now showcased throughout the site.

We’re improving our coverage of live news stories for all mobile users. The live page format offers short form updates related to big stories as they unfold, for example on stories like the Budget and global news events.

Right now, not all of our BBC News content works perfectly on your mobile, but we’ve got lots of plans. Over the coming weeks and months we’ll be adding more features and functionality.

We’ll be offering a simple way to add Weather and Local News to your front page and we will provide an easy way for you to share stories with your friends and social networks. We have temporarily removed the current sharing options while we work on an improved version and we’ll introduce that soon.

Of course, many of you are using devices that are capable of far more than we are offering today. Currently there isn’t any video, but we will add video for those devices which can display it.

As the editor of the BBC News website, Steve Herrmann, notes, in an average week, the BBC News sites and apps are visited by around 9.7m users worldwide on mobile and tablet devices. That represents about 26% of the total users coming to the BBC News website and this is growing.


(Source : BBC Internet Blog)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Women's Radio MAMA FM, Kampala, Uganda

400 women and men of all ages filled the lawn in front of MAMA FM Sunday afternoon: it was the annual meeting of the 33 self-organised listener clubs and community-based self-help groups, who had decided to organise around the MAMA FM programmes. They had come to share their views on why and how MAMA FM had made an important difference in their lives – and how they would like to see the programme continue. Filling the lawn and the many lined-up plastic chairs as they were coming from church or other Sunday chores, the 150 people around 12 noon (when I had to leave) became somewhere between 4-600 during the afternoon – and the important sharing and planning meeting ended with each and every one of the participants who wanted, passing through the radio studio to send their special greeting… this went on quite some hours! But it was worth the wait: my voice on my radio!

MAMA FM is situated in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and is one of the country’s few community radio stations. Mama has been planned since 1997 and on air since 2001 and is Uganda’s first of its kind. Started by the Uganda Media Women’s Association, UMWA, it is a radio focusing on the plight of the under privileged and minorities and is seen to be the first women radio station in Africa. It covers a radius of 250 km and around 13 mio. People. Mama FM targets particularly women between the active age of 15-45 and broadcasts gender sensitive educational programmes and provides a practical experience for female journalists. MAMA FM also wants to ensure space for especially rural women’s voices. Research has shown that in general, the number of women speaking through radio compared to that of men is low with a ratio of only 15 women out of 100. In Mama FM that is turned upside down!

When speaking with the women and men, younger and older, who had gathered to celebrate their radio, they all said that the reason why MAMA FM is important – compared to the other commercial radios – is that the programmes are dealing with important issues in the daily life – and the programmes are produced by people like themselves, so they trust it!

(Source : Empowerhouse.dk)

García Pérez on OCB’s Digital Outreach to Cuba

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting is using a range of new and emerging technologies to reach the Cuban people, OCB Director Carlos García Pérez told a conference in Washington.

“They are thirsty for information. They are thirsty for technology. Our big issue is access,” García Pérez said during a conference on the need for technological change in Cuba. He said, for example, Radio and TV Marti content is being distributed in Cuba via DVDs, flash drives and mobile devices.

Google Ideas and the Heritage Foundation co-sponsored the half-day program which included Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as well as panel discussions on suppression of the Internet in Cuba and promoting uncensored information to Cubans.

García Pérez focused his remarks on the insights Cubans who have recently arrived in the U.S. have provided in terms of the changes in the Cuban media marketplace, particularly the growing use of mobile technologies and the Internet.

Other speakers included, Mike Gonzalez, Vice President, Communications, The Heritage Foundation and Jared Cohen, Director, Google Ideas.  Jim Glassman, Executive Director of the Bush Institute and former BBG Chairman, moderated the discussion of new media avenues in Cuba as well as the censorship of the media and the Internet. Glassman authored a related commentary in Forbes.


(Source : Broadcasting Board of Governors)

Win a World Radio TV Handbook 2012

We just so happen to have an extra copy of the 2012 WRTH (World Radio and TV Handbook) here at the SWLing Post HQ.  So, we’ve decided it would be fun to share it with a SWLing Post reader who would like a copy of this excellent resource–which also happens to be a great read, featuring many articles that we’re sure you’ll enjoy.

And since the SWLing Post recently opened a Facebook account, this little contest will be a great way to spark some interest there.

How can you win?  Simply “like” us on Facebook–before 12:00 UTC on April 11, 2012–and you will automatically be entered to win the 2012 WRTH. We’ll pick a reader at random and notify the winner via Facebook.

Then, simply send us your postal address, and we’ll pop this in the mail to you. And though we may regret the postage (this is a heavy book!) this contest  is open to anyone on the planet!

If you’re not familiar with the newest edition of the WRTH, check out our recent review.


(Source : The SWLing Post)

Stephen Chan Re-appointed to lead HKCB

Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Co. (Commercial Radio) Ltd announced the re-appointment of Stephen Chan Chi Wan as its Chief Executive Officer.

Commercial Radio began broadcasting in 1959 and currently operates three services: two Chinese services on the FM band (Commercial Radio 1 and Commercial Radio 2) and one English service on the AM band (AM 86.4). Its three channels have distinct programme formats and audiences. Commercial Radio also places strong emphasis on news and public affairs, with round the clock news, weather and traffic reports. Local and overseas audience can access its live broadcast and receive the latest news information through the Hong Kong Toolbar on the Internet and via the newly launched mobile application.

The broadcaster announced that Mr.Chan will lead all talents of the station to protect Hong Kong's most treasured and irreplaceable core values which the community takes pride in and which contribute to the success of Hong Kong.

Mr. Chan has extensive experience in public administration, broadcasting and corporate communication. He joined Commercial Radio In 1992, as Executive Assistant to Director and General Manager, later moving to Television Broadcasts Limited as Programme Controller where he was promoted to General Manager – Broadcasting in 2004. He re-joined Commercial Radio on 4 March 2012.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)

Ken Munekata appointed as new president of BBC Worldwide Japan

Ken Munekata joins BBC Worldwide after nearly three decades at Sony Corporation, where he most recently held two roles concurrently- President of Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan and President of Sony Broadcast Media.

Based in Tokyo, Ken will be responsible for leading the commercial activities and strategic development for BBC Worldwide across its Sales & Distribution and Consumer Products businesses, as well as live events and theatrical distribution. Ken will also have strategic oversight of developing BBC Worldwide Channels opportunities in Japan.

General Manager & Senior Vice President, BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution Asia, Joyce Yeung commented, “I’m delighted that Ken will be heading up our business in Japan. With his extensive management and business development experience in the Japanese media industry, I’m confident he will bring new growth opportunities to BBC Worldwide Japan and create collaboration with other Asian territories.”

Ken succeeds Katsuhiko Waza, who announced his retirement in 2011, having been President of BBC Worldwide Japan since it was founded in 2000. Katsuhiko will continue to work as a Non-Executive Director of BBC Worldwide Japan.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)

EU willing to support Portuguese on Euronews

Brussels is willing to bear the costs of Portuguese language broadcasts on Euronews for two years so long as state-owned broadcaster RTP maintains its shareholding in the pan-European news channel and pays its annual fees, Vice-President of the European Commission Viviane Reading said. 

RTP will also have to guarantee to keep the broadcasts going long after the two-year period of assistance comes to an end. Portugal, through RTP, pays about €1.8 million a year to ensure the multilingual news channel broadcasts in Portuguese, but government cutbacks have put that service at risk. RTP has a 1.4% stake in Euronews and pays €360,000 a year in fees.

(Source : The Portugal News Online via kimandrewelliott.com) 

Radio Australia launches new geo-specific website for Asia and the Pacific

Radio Australia has launched a new website in March and unveiled a broadcasting vision for the future.

Damien Dempsey who has been leading the digital transformation at Radio Australia says one of the exciting features of the new website is the IP detect functionality.

He said, with the launch of the new website, Radio Australia can stay connected with the full scope of its listeners across the diverse Asia Pacific region.

“Similar geo-specific user options are common place for airline and travel websites, but not many other media organisations in Australian have a need for it,” says Damien.

radioaustralia.net.au also provides a personalised regional homepage with news and content delivered in Burmese, French, Indonesian, Khmer, Mandarin, Tok Pisin or Vietnamese. 
 
(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)

Radio waves inspire change in Malawi




Youth reporter,Violet Banda, hosting the Radio Timveni program. Photo courtesy of Timveni.

By Desiree Buitenbos



Violet Banda is not your average 21-year-old.

A poised, confident and outspoken child rights activist, Banda personifies the power of radio in Malawi.

Born to a family of five children, Banda is the only female and the only child to have contracted HIV from her mother who succumbed to AIDS when Banda was just three years old.

 “When I found out I was positive, I was in primary school," says Banda, “Whenever I would tell people about my status it happened that I lost all my friends. Some didn’t want to be near me or touch me. They just ran away. “

HIV/AIDs is the leading cause of death in Malawi, and Banda says the stigma she faced growing up is a common reality for the half a million AIDS orphans in the country.

For Banda personally, the discrimination affected her ability to perform at school, as well as her relationship with her family.

“It felt like they should do their own thing, and I should find other friends in the world”

But all of this changed when Banda turned 15, and was invited to speak publicly about her experiences on a children’s radio show run by a local NGO called Timveni.

Phillip Kamwendo is the programs manager at Timveni, a media project which focuses on children’s rights and creates space for children to anonymously tell stories about the issues that affect them.  He recalls the first time Banda came on air.

“Her grandmother could not accept that she was HIV-positive until she came on our radio program,” Kamwendo says, “She told her story and how she feels, and her grandmother was listening. Afterwards, she changed her mindset towards her granddaughter.” 

That wasn’t the only difference in Banda’s life.

Following her radio debut, she became a youth reporter for the project, where she's enjoyed success in highlighting violence and abuse against children. Many of her stories grapple with issues like rape, child labour and forced marriages - and her work has often had a positive and immediate impact on local government policy.

“I once interviewed this girl who was raped by her teacher and had dropped out of school," Banda says. When we brought her on the radio, the ministry of education took action. They fired the teacher and the girl returned to her studies.”


(Source :  thestar.com  Blog)

Monday, March 26, 2012

The 2012 AIBs will be launched in April

The 2012 AIBs will be launched in April with a call for entry to broadcasters and independent producers.
This international festival celebrates inspiring creativity in TV, radio and cross-media broadcasting. Entries come from around the world and our judging panel is equally international.

If you want to receive information about these prestigious global awards, contact us today on +44 20 7993 2557 or email us: register at{} aib.org.uk.

(Source : Association for International Broadcasting)

New Editor for BBC Hereford and Worcester

Jeremy Pollock has been appointed the new Editor of the BBC’s local radio service for Hereford and Worcester.

He’ll take over from James Coghill who announced in January that he was leaving the corporation after 23 years’ service

Jeremy is currently acting Editor of BBC Coventry and Warwickshire and has previously worked for Radio Shropshire, BBC WM and BBC Radio Stoke. He has been a BBC journalist for more than 20 years, including a spell as Education Correspondent for BBC Midlands Today television.

Ahead of the move to Hereford on 8th May, he told RadioToday.co.uk: “My true passion is local radio, and I’m genuinely delighted to be taking over as editor of BBC Hereford and Worcester. The station has a great connection with its audience, a track record of making award-winning radio and it serves a beautiful part of the world.”

Catherine Hearne, Head of Regional and Local Programmes for the West Midlands, says: “I’m thrilled that Jeremy Pollock will be joining BBC Hereford & Worcester as Managing Editor this spring. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Jeremy while he’s been running BBC Coventry and Warwickshire. He’s a talented journalist who’s passionate about making great radio. Many congratulations to him!”

(Source : Radio Today, UK)

BBC Breakfast announces first broadcast from MediaCityUK

On Tuesday 10 April, BBC Breakfast will broadcast from its new home in MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, for the first time.

The flagship programme will continue to be presented by a team well known to the Breakfast audience, with Bill Turnbull and Susanna Reid and Louise Minchin and Charlie Stayt forming the main family of presenters.

Business presenter Stephanie McGovern and sports presenters Sally Nugent and Mike Bushell will continue in their current roles in Salford, while Carol Kirkwood will also remain part of the team, continuing to present Breakfast’s weather reports from London and locations across the UK, along with her other responsibilities with the Met Office.

Since the programme’s launch in October 2000 BBC Breakfast has established its position as an important part of the audience’s day. Broadcasting more than three hours of live news, sport and entertainment every day, Breakfast’s move to Salford comes during a hugely successful period as it continues to reach over 12 million viewers per week.

BBC Breakfast broadcasts daily from 6.00am on BBC One and the News Channel.

(Source: BBC Media Centre)

Pure Siesta Mi Series 2 - the £35 DAB Alarm Clock

Pure has announced a new version of its popular Siesta Mi alarm clock DAB radio. Selling for just £35, the Pure Siesta Mi Series 2 is one of just a few affordable gadgets that will make for a classy present.

The Pure Siesta Mi Series 2 is a classic bedside radio design, but comes with the added benefit of DAB radio. It allows for two separate alarms, should you not want to get up at the same time as who/whatever you may sleep alongside. You can wake up to either a DAB or FM radio station, or a standard alarm tone. And yes, of course, both Snooze and Sleep functions are built-in.

The display on the front is a clear one-line type and automatically adjusts its brightness to suit ambient light levels. It'll display information reaped from the DAB signal too, scrolling across as it would on one of Pure's higher-end radios. The main differences between this Series 2 model and the original Siesta Mi include an improved display and improved alarm functionality - although its predecessor still offers dual alarms.

(Source : Trusted Reviews)

Little media freedom in Saakashvili's Georgia

Despite President Saakashvili's record of reforms, Georgia consistently ranks low on press freedom indices. Similar news reports on the country's three main TV stations are the latest hint of a tightly controlled media. 

Earlier this month, newscasters on Georgia's three main TV channels, Rustavi 2, Imedi TV and the public broadcaster Channel 1, read out very similar reports on a controversial death in police custody. The incident has renewed suspicion that the government of President Mikheil Saakashvili maintains firm control of its media, despite its publicly declared commitments to democratic reform.

The news story was about how opposition politicians, linked to Saakashvili's main political rival, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, had supposedly politicized the death of 46 year-old Solomon Kimeridze. Authorities maintain Kimeridze, a burglary suspect, tripped and fell three floors to his death while in police custody. The story focused on the opposition politicians' reactions, which journalists portrayed as inappropriate, and only briefly mentioned the fact that the politicians were questioning the suspicious circumstances of a man's death in police custody.

Each of the three TV stations used nearly identical video footage and news scripts.


(Source : Deutsche Welle)

The competition for the Radio for Peacebuilding Africa Awards 2012 is now open for submissions!

The RFPA Awards recognise the best radio programmes that contribute to peace in Africa. The RFPA Awards particularly celebrate radio programmes that help to reduce group and community tensions, enhance and give value to shared interests, break down listener stereotypes, or provide positive role models.

The 2012 Awards are open to all African radio broadcasters, both men and women. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
  • RFPA Gender Award;
  • RFPA Youth Award; and
  • RFPA Jury’s Special Award.   
Three prizes will be awarded in each category. The first prize is 600 Euros, the second 300 Euros, and the third 150 Euros. The winning recipients will be honoured at an award ceremony.    
Specific entry requirements include:
Programmes can be in any language spoken on the African continent, but must be accompanied by a translation in either English or French.
  • Programmes must be a minimum of 20 minutes in duration.
  • Radio programmes must have been broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2011.
  • Participants can submit more than one entry, but each must be sent as a discrete submission.
Each entry must include a complete entry form, a copy of the radio programme, and a translation if necessary. Submissions can be submitted electronically to rfpa@sfcg.org or by mail to any SFCG Africa Country Office (list available here) or SFCG’s Brussels Office.  Please note that you may use Sendspace to send files that are too large to send electronically. 

All entries must be received by midnight GMT, May 11, 2012.
Previous winning entries are available for listening and download from the audio section of our website.

If you have any questions, contact the RFPA Team: rfpa@sfcg.org
We wish good luck to all the participants and we look forward to listening to your radio programmes!

(Source : Radio for Peacebuliding Africa)

Australian Radio Awards to be held in Sydney

Entries are open for this year’s Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs), which will be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 13.

The 24th annual event has become a highlight of the radio industry’s yearly calendar with the Awards attracting the industry’s stars, personalities and media executives from around Australia.

Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner said it was always great to hold the event in Sydney.

“Sydney is a great place to hold the ACRAs and represents a very strong and vibrant market for commercial radio,” Ms Warner said.

Organised by Commercial Radio Australia, on behalf of the radio industry, the national Awards include 33 categories, which cover all areas of radio broadcasting including news, talk, sport, music and entertainment. The ACRAs differ from television’s Logie Awards, in that they are peer judged with judging panels comprised of industry members. Winners are announced in each category across three areas: metropolitan, provincial and country commercial radio stations.

Winners from last year’s Awards include Southern Cross Austereo’s Kyle and Jackie O;  Fox FM’s comic duo, Hamish and Andy and 3AW’s Derryn Hinch.

Ms Warner said a feature of the Awards is the Hall of Fame, which acknowledges a lifelong commitment to the Australian radio industry. Last year’s inductee was Tony Pilkington, best known as “Pilko”, in the iconic on-air team, Bazz & Pilko.  Previous inductees have included Derryn Hinch, Neil Mitchell, Frank Hyde, Rod Muir, John Laws, Bob Rogers and Paul Thompson. Hall of Fame recipients are nominated by industry colleagues and decided by a high level judging committee.

Entries for this year’s Awards close on Friday May 25.

Information about entering the Awards, categories and conditions of entry can be found at a website for the Awards:  www.commercialradio.com.au/acras

(Source : Commercial Radio Australia)

Saturday, March 24, 2012

BBC Africa Debate asks whether "Africa is on trial"

The March edition of BBC World Service’s programme, BBC Africa Debate, will discuss whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) places too much emphasis on African cases.

Broadcast at 19.00 GMT on Friday 30 March from Nairobi, Kenya, the debate “International justice: is Africa on trial?” is presented by the BBC's Akwasi Sarpong and Karen Allen. BBC Swahili’s debate on the same subject, presented by Anne Mawathe and Odeo Sirari, will be broadcast on the same day.

Human-rights advocates and victims of human-rights violations appreciate the ICC’s role in international justice, even though all the court’s active cases are from the continent. They argue that most investigations to date have been determined by referrals, either by African states or the United Nations Security Council.

However, a lot of African leaders see the ICC as a body which focuses mainly on the African continent effectively ignoring crimes committed elsewhere in the world. Some critics have gone as far as accusing the ICC of politicising justice in Africa and undermining other alternatives such as reconciliation and traditional justice. Some question the fact that three veto-wielding UN Security Council members - China, Russia and the USA – have not signed up to the ICC, and their nationals therefore would never be referred to the court.

Rachael Akidi, BBC Africa Debate Senior Producer, says: “The ICC was set up to prosecute the perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. As ICC marks its tenth anniversary this year, BBC Africa Debate will be asking whether its focus on Africa is undermining its credibility and whether its newly appointed Chief Prosecutor – who is from The Gambia - can bridge the apparent divide between the court and the continent.”

So is the ICC a valid court of last resort, or an example of the West flexing its muscles in the African continent? BBC Africa Debate will be discussing the issue in Nairobi with a high-profile panel, in front of an audience of invited guests including prominent African legal experts, human-rights activists, victims of violence, religious leaders, Kenyan politicians, academics, students and media representatives.

This edition of BBC Africa Debate will be recorded from 10.00 on Friday 30 March at Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya, and will be broadcast by BBC World Service at 19.00 GMT on the same day. The programme will be repeated on Sunday 1 April at 13.00 GMT. Each edition of BBC Africa Debate is broadcast from a different location in Africa.

BBC Swahili’s debate will be recorded at the same location on Friday 30 March, and will be broadcast on the same day.

(Source: BBC World Service Publicity)

Honorary degrees for BBC's Jenni Murray and Mark Thompson

BBC Director General Mark Thompson and Woman’s Hour presenter Jenni Murray are being given honorary doctorates by the University of Salford today.

The awards are being given for their contributions to the media industry and form part of the college’s official opening at MediaCityUK by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen and Prince Phillip are visiting Salford today to officially open the media complex. Her Majesty will tour the BBC’s Quay House building – home to 5 live and Radio Manchester – while her husband performs the official opening of the University campus.

Dame Jenni Murray has been presenting Radio 4′s Woman’s Hour since 1987. BBC Director General Mark Thompson was a key player in the decision to move major parts of the corporation from London to Salford, and recently announced that he will be leaving the BBC later this year.

Commenting on the award of the degrees, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Martin Hall said: “Today’s events mark a significant milestone for the University. With our first Chancellor, Prince Philip opening the MediaCityUK campus, and the award of honorary degrees to two of the most influential people in the media industry, we are rightly celebrating both our heritage as a university and looking forward to an exciting future in the creative and digital sectors.”

(Source : Radio Today, UK)

TRT International Children's Festival

The Turkish Radio-Television Corporation is preparing to host children from about 48 countries for the ‘23rd April International Children’s Festival’ in Konya, central Turkey. The festival week will be from 16th to 24th April. Every country will send a chosen performing childrens team to perform their folkloric or any other free style of dance performance during the festival’s gala shows. TRT will organize some events and meetings for children within the festival’s context. 

TRT is planning to broadcast three live Gala Shows for the International Children's Festival which is to be held in Konya from April 16-25th, 2012. 

The three live Gala shows will take place on: 
• April 21 (14:00 - 16:00) : half of the participating countries
• April 22 (14:00 - 16:00) : remainder of the participating countries
• April 23 (17:00-19:00): all participating countries performing a special choreography. 

Further details of these live broadcasts - free of charge to the TV channels of EBU Members - and the final broadcasting schedule and technical information will be communicated in due course. 

For more informationhttp://www.trt.net.tr/23nisan/

(Source : European Broadcasting Union)

Friday, March 23, 2012

For BBG Gov. Ashe, a Busy SE Asia Agenda

BBG Gov. Victor Ashe wraps up his tour of Southeast Asian broadcast facilities this week with a series of meetings in Thailand, including stops at the offices of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America in Bangkok.

Earlier, Ashe visited the Bangkok Transmitter Plant where he met with staff and delved into the plant’s history.
Ashe, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland, expressed a keen interest in the facility’s history, which dates to the Vietnam conflict. He suggested renaming the facility, which is not located in Bangkok, but near Ayutthaya 80 miles north of the capital city.

During the 10-day trip, Ashe’s itinerary included stops at BBG facilities, meetings with agency staff and talks with U.S. embassy officials and local authorities in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.

In the Udon Thani province of northeast Thailand, Ashe toured a BBG transmission facility and presented 30-year and 20-year service awards to staff members.

In Phnom Penh, Ashe toured the facilities of RFA and VOA and met with staff. Also in Cambodia, he met with representatives of human rights NGOs and independent journalists. Ashe was accompanied by Poly Sam, director of the RFA’s Cambodian Service.

The first BBG member to visit Laos, Ashe met there with Vice Minister of Information of the Laotian government about the possibility of allowing RFA correspondents in Laos. He also met with U.S. embassy officials and Laotian journalists.

(Source : Broadcasting Board of Governors)

U.S. International Broadcasting Joins The Digital Age

Digital media is increasingly shaping the way the U.S. government's international broadcast networks communicate with audiences around the world.

Once strictly a radio enterprise, U.S. international broadcasting – including its leading brand Voice of America – now reaches more people via television, the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and mobile apps, then it does via the radio airwaves.


(Source : Aol Government via kimandrewelliott.com)

From 25 March Polish Radio English Section will end Shortwave Transmission

From Sunday 25 March, the English Section of Polish Radio External Service is changing its broadcast times and the nature of its transmissions.
 
As of Sunday, the English Section will NOT be available on Short Wave, ending almost 80 years of broadcasts on this spectrum. Many thanks to all our listeners who tuned in via these means over the years.

However, the English Section is continuing ALL its transmissions via satellite and online, with podcasts also available via our RSS feed and through the iTunes platform.

Additionally, the English Section of Polish Radio External Service is available in London on DAB Spectrum 1 daily at 1900 local time.

Major changes are our LIVE transmission at the time of 1400 CEST (1200 UTC), with our main broadcast moving to 2000 CEST (1800 UTC).

Our flagship production, News from Poland, will move to the time of 1400 CEST, with a second edition at 2000 CEST. All magazine premieres will also air at 2000 CEST.


(Source : Polskie Radio)

Change is on the way at Radio Netherlands Worldwide

As the clocks in Europe go forward to summertime, Radio Netherlands Worldwide is entering a period of drastic change which will see the closure of many services and the relaunch of the organisation with a much smaller staff. RNW will in future be specialising in producing material for audiences in countries with limited press freedom.

RNW will no longer be broadcasting to Dutch expatriates. The Dutch radio service will hold a 24-hour marathon broadcast on 10/11 May to mark the end of its 65 years of service.

Other services will be affected too - plans are still te be finalised, but Radio Netherlands Worldwide will cease to operate in a number of languages and other services, including this website, will be adapted to meet the new focus of promoting free speech.

All these changes have been forced on RNW by the Dutch government’s decision to slash our budget by 70 percent with effect from 1 January 2013. The budget will come from the Foreign Ministry rather than the Ministry of Education and Culture as at present. The editorial independence of RNW will remain sacrosanct.
More information about the changes will be published as soon as these are official.

(Source : RNW)

Myanmar reviews its media draft laws with assistance of UNESCO

Myanmar’s Ministry of Information in co-operation with UNESCO recently organized a review workshop in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw on the country’s first draft media laws.

“Myanmar is now transforming to a democratic society,” said U Ye Htut, Director General of the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division, Ministry of Information of Myanmar at the workshop. “Under these circumstances media policy is a vital issue and the concerned personnel is approaching this in a positive way. According to some extent of experience, the process of drafting the new media legislation is a hard and intricate work. But according to the constitution, this is a compulsory matter for new governance,” he said. 

New draft media laws were prepared by the Ministry of Information and reviewed at a jointly organised five-day workshop. The Ministry of Information has requested UNESCO’s technical assistance in media development including capacity building in developing media laws based on good international and regional practices and accepted by all the stakeholders. 

Main elements of the new law would be the establishment of independent Press Council and a Broadcast Council, no a priori censorship, the adherence to principles of freedom of expression and the right to information, and a framework for new online media. 

“Media gives a voice to change and development. Media Law is the backbone for media development. It should not obstruct but be flexible to support all movements of society so it can develop to its full potential,” said Dieter Schlenker of Information and Knowledge Management, UNESCO Bangkok.

Expecting the media law to be soon finalized, Director General U Ye Htut identified further needs in collaboration, particularly by enhancing media literacy amongst the people of Myanmar, in providing capacity development opportunities for journalists and in developing modern curricula for journalistic education in the country.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)

TDM to broadcast Portuguese programs on CRI

Teledifusão de Macau (TDM) will broadcast some of its Portuguese radio programs via China Radio International (CRI). The two sides signed a cooperation protocol yesterday in Zhuhai, allowing TDM to broadcast four radio programs on the Chinese state broadcaster’s website and internet radio.

CRI has daily broadcasts directed to Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde and other Lusophone countries. CRI hopes the cooperation will help to bring Macau cultures to those countries.

The cooperation came after a visit by TDM officials to Beijing last year, and corresponds to the strategic objective of TDM to strengthen its cultural reach in Lusophone countries. In addition to the Lusophone country audience, the CRI platform also means access to the Portuguese-speaking Chinese audience.

According to TDM, the cooperation may soon be extended to the broadcasting of some CRI programs on TDM’s platform, possibly a program to teach Mandarin (or Putonghua) to Portuguese speakers.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)